Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 196 Collision of Two People in Beijing (1)
Sitting in the carriage, Feng Xuxu watched the scenery continuously drift by outside as the horses galloped relentlessly toward the Capital City, fortunately not meeting any snowfall on the way to Capital City.
"Miss, it looks like it will take two more days to reach Capital City." Yingsu lifted the carriage curtain and peered out, gazing at the familiar landscape before her. She let the curtain fall and turned to inform her mistress.
"Are you familiar with this place?" Leaning against the couch, Feng Xuxu shifted her gaze from the book in her hands and asked Yingsu with curiosity.
"Very familiar. This is Prefecture Government closest to Capital City, called Wangjiang Prefecture. It’s named after a river, Wangjiang River, and it’s said to have brought a lot of good fortune to the people, which is why it’s called Wangjiang." As she saw her mistress rise from the couch, Yingsu took a kettle off the small clay stove that had been keeping water warm in the carriage and poured a cup of tea for her mistress.
"Wangjiang has brought a lot of good fortune to the people?" Feng Xuxu listened with curiosity, casually inquiring.
"The people here live mainly by fishing. The fish from here are well-known, and since the nearby prefectures don’t have large rivers or bodies of water, many merchants saw the opportunity and started to trade fish from Wangjiang to these prefectures, earning them a considerable amount of Silver. This is why people are willing to take the risk to fish in the river." Yingsu sat on a small stool inside the carriage, giving a general explanation of Wangjiang Prefecture to her mistress. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
Feng Xuxu drank the tea in her hand, occasionally nodding as she listened.
Baihe lifted the exquisite curtain of the carriage, entered the vehicle, and sat next to Yingsu before addressing her mistress, "Miss, Young Master Jueqing has sent a message. He says to have lunch at Wangjiang Tower at noon before continuing our journey."
Feng Xuxu nodded, lifted the window curtain to look outside, and saw the city walls not far away. As she observed the increasing bustle around, with cries of vendors and roaming merchants weaving through the crowd, selling novelties from far-off places in exchange for fish which they would then sell in other prefectures. Feng Xuxu, slightly bored by the hurried shapes and shades of people on the road, let the curtain fall and turned back to continue reading her book.
After passing through the city wall, the carriage moved pompously forward for a good half an hour before finally stopping in front of Wangjiang Tower.
Young Master Jueqing dismounted and approached the carriage. Just as he was about to board, Baihe leaped down, lifting the curtain. Feng Xuxu, dressed in a fiery red Fox Fur Cloak, then appeared, stepping out of the carriage with Baihe’s assistance and descending onto the mounting block.
Feng Xuxu stepped out of the carriage to find her cousin waiting beside it. Letting go of Baihe’s hand, she turned around and eyed Wangjiang Tower, then turned back with a delightful smile to her cousin, "Cousin, let’s go. Let’s taste the river fish here together."
"I was thinking the same. Let’s go," they said, one after the other, entering the Wangjiang Tower.
Seeing that their masters had entered Wangjiang Tower, the guard who had driven the carriage then led the horses away to feed them.
"Dear guests, welcome, please come inside." The alert waiter, spotting two customers of distinguished appearance arriving, hurriedly greeted them.
"Hmm, are there any private rooms available?" Young Master Jueqing asked, furrowing his brow as he looked at the crowded hall, addressing the waiter before him.
"Yes, there are. Please, follow me." The waiter had just finished speaking and was about to lead them upstairs, but someone called out to him.
"Boy, get us a private room too," a woman’s voice rang out from behind.
The waiter halted, then regaining his composure, he said, "Miss, our last private room has just been reserved by these two gentlemen. The third floor is also nice—a seat by the window offers a view of the river." The waiter said, trying to please her.
"Hey, what are you implying? You want me to watch the river in the dead of winter? Are you trying to freeze me to death?" the woman pursued relentlessly.
